Page 44 of The Demon Mark

Thus, she found herself in the only room that she could tolerate that wasn’t her own bedroom. The kitchen only reminded her that he thought, as a woman, she would enjoy cooking. Which was an entirely ridiculous thought that made her cheeks burn with rage. So she ended up in the poolroom.

It was a pretty room. The pool was larger than any pool she’d ever seen, taking up more space than the entire circus had taken up. There were rungs all around it for people to exit the water, and then deep recesses in the floor beside it that were filled with pillows. Obviously, for people to rest and enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, that also meant that she imagined other people here, and that made her sad.

She missed being around people. If only to disappear into their lives, so she didn’t have to think about her own.

Instead, she’d rummaged around in all the places that Envy likely didn’t want her to look. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t given her permission to look through his things. She was here. Therefore, she did what she wanted.

Lilith spent almost an entire day going through every single drawer in the kitchen. Someone had gone through and taken all the knives out, so she wasn’t sure how he expected her to cook. And anything that could be deemed as “dangerous” was whisked away the next moment that she was in the room.

Clearly, he didn’t trust her not to kill herself. But the pool room had a few interesting items. Bathing suits, for one. She had seen them on women before. Long dresses that were made out of light material so they wouldn’t yank a woman down into the depths. She cared little for those, though.

Lilith did swim. Not to exercise as he wanted her to do, but because of sheer boredom. And she swam naked.

As a lady did.

But then she became bored again. There was nothing and no one here for her, so she rummaged some more.

The pool room was clearly meant for entertaining. There were all manner of musical instruments hidden in alcoves and a few surprising items like charcoal and easels. All she had to do was find the paper, which took a few more days as well.

But then she could do what she used to love to do. Painting and drawing had always been a talent that she had nurtured throughout her life. The older she got, however, the less time there was to draw. Still, she had always loved painting.

Charcoal would have to do.

Taking a blank page and turning it into something beautiful always made her heart soar. It took a long time to do. She made quite a few mistakes and balled up the pages before tossing them onto the ground in frustration. But eventually she worked on a piece that made her feel quite happy.

It was just the pool room. Lilith found it easier to draw what was right in front of her than something from memory. But she’d given the room a little more life. More plants. More people. When she looked at her drawing, it made the room feel like it was a place she wanted to be.

Looking over the edge of the easel into reality, however, made it difficult to stay here. All she wanted was to dive into that drawing and to live with the people she’d conjured on the page. But that wasn’t ever going to be possible because she was alone in this echoing room with nothing but charcoal stained fingers and a hole where her heart used to be.

Sighing, she rubbed the charcoal into her skin a little harder. Almost as though she could press the thought into existence. She just didn’t want to be alone anymore.

Lilith didn’t do well alone. Her thoughts were dangerous beasts.

“You’re quite good at that.” The voice interrupted her anxieties and, for a moment, she felt a spark of hope.

Someone was here. Someone who could talk with her and listen and maybe, if she was very nice, they would let her sneak into their mind and see their future. Just a taste. It was better than existing in her own life.

But then she recognized the voice and remembered she wanted absolutely nothing to do with the man who stood behind her.

Stiffening, she tried very hard to look prim and proper and as if she didn’t care at all that he was in the room. “I have drawn my whole life,” she replied, trying to sound prissy so maybe he would leave. “A lady learns how to draw very early.”

“That’s interesting. Only a few kingdoms teach young women that skill.” He came around to her side, leaning down to inspect her cross hatching. “And considering you don’t have the look or the teachings of someone from Lust’s kingdom, I would guess you are from Pride’s?”

A spark of something burned in the back of her mind. She hadn’t remembered where she was from, only that the oracular order was very particular about certain things.

“Perhaps it was Pride’s kingdom,” she replied, trying very hard to seem as though she didn’t care. “It means little. I’m not there now.”

“No, you are not. You are with me and I am quite pleased by that. My brother would be so decidedly disappointed to know that he wasn’t the one who caught you.” Envy smiled at her.

Lilith had to scold herself upon seeing the expression, because she wanted to melt. He was not a good man. He’d kidnapped her. Denied her the drug that she needed to live. And now he kept her captive and limited to three rooms where she was to be sequestered until she gave in and decided that if she could only have his attention, then that was better than nothing.

It was not better than nothing. Not in the slightest.

“I see you are here to annoy me again,” she said.

“I like to think I do more than annoy you.”

“Oh, well, that is true.” Lilith waited to see that interesting shade of hope in his eyes before she dashed it. “You also make me very angry.”

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